First Cruiser--Where do I start? (1 Viewer)

[Jesse Berdinka]

Hello everyone, I just bought my first Cruiser, a 1996 FZJ80 with 67K original miles on it. The problem is that it sat for 4 years and there are a few problems.

1. Knuckles are leaking and I bought the kit to rebuild them and do the wheel bearings at the same time.

2. Front crankcase and rear main seal are seeping a bit and need to be replaced.

Can anyone think of anything else I should do when I'm down there or that I should check in general?

Thanks in advance, I look forward to being a member of the group.

Jesse in Bucks County

 

[OZCAL]

Welcome !

Depending on where the truck spent its prior life, you may have rust under the roof rack mounts, if you have a roof rack. I don't know where Bucks County is but I don't think it's in Queensland. Also check the rear window spoiler mounts. Search "roof rack" and "rust" and check the frequently asked questions for tips on repair if necessary.

Much smarter folk than I will have much better advice in a few hours when US daylight time rolls around. Be sure to check back.

Anyway congratulations on your buy.

David

EDIT - by the way the other international guys are real smart too, just not as many members as in the US.

 

[reffug]

First let me say

Where the heck is bucks county?????

Baseline every fluid in the truck. As in completely change and replace with synthetic.(course thats just my 02) Then you know where your starting from at least. Also considering it has sat for that long I would get a complete tune up kit from Cdan and do that as well.

Welcome.

 

[CharlieS]

Hi. Welcome.

Best two things you can can do are 1 contact Cruiser Dan for any parts you need and 2 buy the factory service manual (FSM) for your crusier.

Cruiser Dan is on the board, and you can find him in the vendor link section at American Toyota.

He can get you a FSM or you can download it through the toyota website if you want, for a small fee.

I agree, I didn't baseline my fluids right off, and should have. One big difference I noticed was that he tranny flush and fill brought the transmission back to life.

I am doing my own front axle service this afternoon and tomorrow, so I can tell you more on how hard it is on Monday! Sounds easy enough. Tons of info on this board about it - look under "birfield" or "birf" and you should get a ton of info.

There is a wealth of informaion on this board, look for FAQ and then start searching like crazy using the board search tool. You'll find as much as you want to know about most anything related to your rig.

There are some other good internet sites where you can gather a ton of info, pirate4x4, 80scool, and slee offroad come to mind.

I've noticed you'll catch a lot less flak and often find your answer without ever posting, if you do a thorough search first. The search tool works really well.

Nice find by the way, my '96 has 181K... Does it have lockers?

Congrats and good luck.

Charlie

 

[e9999]

Welcome!
it it's been sitting you may not want to rush to change seals. Some fresh oil with seal conditioners may perhaps swell them enough that the leaks would stop?

 

[LX_TREME]

Welcome aboard Now share with other post pic your 1st cruiser.

 

[RavenTai]

Bucks County = Pennsylvania ?


Nice list so far

Wile you are replacing the coolant, PHH-pesky heater hose, replace it. thermostat because it is cheap preventive maintenance, many have had troubles with the fan clutch, it is more expensive @ 67K yours should be OK, if the fan does not roar on cold start you may want to test it, the thought of putting my hand near a running fan sounded dangerous so I just replaced mine but I have more mileage. Check the rad for gray sludge

Starter contacts & plunger, they can lead to a truck that will not start, or worse a starter that will not stop, there have been a few small fires and electrical system meltdowns caused by this, you will usually but not necessarily get one or two waning non starts before it goes south, you should have alternator brushes on hand also, if you have time replace them as PM.

Belts, OEM belts make the least noise,

Air filter

Replace PCV valve, check both hoses for cracks, check the air inlet tube for cracks

Replace the cap rotor and plugs, at your mileage your can probably reuse your wires, (mine had the original wises when I bought it) inspect them visually and check resistance per the FSM

Rear wheel bearing repack/replacement. you will need the SST.

 

[brianinaustin]

What's an SST?

 

[MaddBaggins]

Welcome Jesse
SST=special service tool
The FSM lists special tools you will need to do the job properly.

 

[brianinaustin]

Thanks... I need to rear brakes soon. Figured bearings could use a repack as well. Just trying to get a headstart. B

 

[semlin]

welcome. some good advice here.

i second the advice to hold off on repairing the engine seals. Switch to synthetic and wait at least one oil change. my truck had both those leaks when i got it and 3 years later new engine seals is still way down my list. The crank case leak went away and the main seal loss went way down when i switched to mobil 1, although you may experience initial greater oil loss until the seals swell. Main seal area leaks are pretty much standard on these motors by 100k. Also they actually could be several seals so do a search to learn more if you plan on repairing.

i also second the idea of a good coolant flush, replace the phh, replace the t-stat. proper coolant operation on these trucks is key if you want to avoid h/g issues. Given the truck has been sitting I think this would be a very high priority for me. again search on how to do it.